Battle of Mt. Fuji
The Battle of Mt. Fuji, also known as the Battle of the Fuji River was the second battle on the Eastern Front of the Honshu War, and concurrent with the Battle of Lake Hamana. The battle was the result of an attempt by Shogun Taro "Oda Nobunaga" Oda to push through the Fuji River valley and seize Mt. Fuji, a sacred mountain in Japanese culture which Oda resented being in the hands of the "corrupted" postwar Japanese State. The attack was a disaster, with Shogunate forces taking heavy fire from JSDF troops in the mountains on either side of the river valley. Shogunate troops never managed to set foot on Mt. Fuji, or anywhere within 30 kilometers of the mountain, being halted in the Fuji River Valley near Minamikoma. Background Mount Fuji has long been considered a sacred mountain in Japanese Shinto religion, and is considered to be one of the most emblematic symbols of Japan. After the Great War, the mountain was in a "no-man's land" until 2152, when the postwar JSDF entered the former Shizuoka prefecture, securing the nearby Fuji SDF base, as well as Yokota Air Force base, as well as placing the Japanese flag on Mount Fuji, signifying that the mountain and surrounding region were under the control of postwar successor to the pre-war Japanese government. While the mountain remained in the Shizuoka unorganized territory, which was only marginally under Japanese state control, with most of the JS presence being military forces guarding the frontier of Japanese state territory, it was nonetheless a major morale victory for the mountain to be once again placed under Japanese state control. After seizing control of the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, the leader of The Shogunate, a man known as Oda Nobunaga, after the famous 16th century daimyo who paved the way for the unification of Japan in the Sengoku period, set his sights on further expansion, including territory claimed by both the Japanese state and the Communist Party of Japan. The Shogunate had managed to expand as far east as Kofu in the former Yamanashi Prefecture to the north of Fuji, but were unable to take the mountain itself as it was separated by a range of smaller mountains immediately to the north, most of the roads through which were blocked by long-collapsed tunnels. The one remaining route through the mountains was the narrow Fuji River Valley. Intent on taking the sacred peak for himself, Oda in July 2256, ordered the daimyo of Kai, based in Kofu, as well as the daimyo of Nagoya, his own son, Oda Nobutada, to launch an attack first on Hamamatsu, and, two days later, through the Fuji River Valley with the intent of breaching into the plains around Fuji and taking the mountain for himself. Nobunaga hoped that, with the distraction of the Battle of Lake Hamana, as well as a surprise air attack on JSDF bases east of Mt. Fuji, that he could break through the Fuji River Valley before JSDF forces arrived. Initial Assault The first attacks in the Fuji area took place at 0700 hours on August 7th, 2282, with artillery attacks on JSDF artillery and observation posts in the mountains north of Mt. Fuji, and a surprise air attack by 12 Shogunate F80Js, one FX-45, and sixteen light planes flying out of Nagoya. The intent of the attack was the cause as much damage to the JSDF Air Base at Yokota and JGSDF Base Fuji while much of the JSDF air force were busy engaging the Shogunate air attack on Hamamatsu. While the artillery strikes on the front near Mt. Fuji achieved some surprise, Yokota Air Force Base, which had survived the Great War, had one of the last surviving long-range radar units in Honshu, giving advanced warning. This radar gave the JSDF advanced warning of the Shogunate air attack. While six F80Js and one FX-45 were dispatched to intercept the aircraft over Hamamatsu, the remaining 14 F80Js and two FX-45s were launched to engage the Shogunate air forces incoming on Yokota and Fuji Army Base. The 16 light planes, six CV-80s, and four Umidori tiltrotor VTOLs at the base were also scrambled to engage the Shogunate light piston-engine aircraft. The aerial engagement, which took place over Mount Fuji and the surrounding area began when the the Shogunate FX-45 fired two missiles at the incoming JSDF air formation. Two JSDF F80s were lost to the attack, before the two FX-45s fired on their Shogunate counterpart with multiple missiles, one of which shot down the aircraft. The loss of the FX-45 was a particularly hard blow to the Shogunate, as the advanced pre-war fighters were rare even by the standards of already rare working aircraft, and the Shogunate in particular had no more then five. The aerial engagement also saw three more JSDF aircraft and 13 Shogunate aircraft shot down. As was typical with postwar aerial warfare, only about a quarter of the kills were achieved by missiles, as both pre-war and even cruder post-war manufactured seekers were not particularly reliable. The bulk of the kills were achieved with guns at close ranges. The JSDF jets, which were greater in number and had more skilled pilots, allowed the JSDF light planes and VTOLs to engage their Shogunate counterparts without fear of attack from above by the jets. While not intended for air-to-air combat, against opponents of comparable speed, they proved to be sufficient enough. Within a few minutes of the first intercept, the surviving Shogunate aircraft had retreated by back to their bases in Nagoya. After the interception of the air attack, at about 720 hours, the Shogunate push into the Fuji River Valley was discovered. Those JSDF artillery batteries that were in range of the River Valley and survived the initial artillery and air attacks, specifically one 105mm and one 155mm fired on the Shogunate attacking force, and any JSDF aircraft that still had sufficient fuel after the intercept launched air attacks, though lacking anything heavier than autocannon and in some cases, rocket pods, the damage they could inflict was limited. Nonetheless, the air and artillery fire did slow the Shogunate advance, buying time for JSDF light recon units in Minobu to push back to Minamikoma, while mechanized and armored forces were dispatched. These units, while small given the relative rarity of vehicles in the post-war period, were fast and heavily armed, and could quickly move down the main roads, which were kept clear of debris by the JSDF at speeds of between 60 and 100 kilometers per hour depending on vehicle type. Engagement at Minamikoma The first vehicles to arrive in the Fuji River Valley were a company of 15 M51 Infantry Fighting Vehicles of the Kanto Rapid Reaction Batallion, with another company of infantry transported in trucks in tow, who were ordered to set up positions near the two Hayakawa Bridges, which crosses a tributary of the Fuji River. The reinforcing units were joined by a small recon unit that had fallen back to the heights overlooking the Hayakawa Bridges in face of a massive Shogunate attack. The infantry and vehicles placed themselves in defensive positions overlooking the river. While they only had about 30 minutes of preparation before the Shogunate column arrived, the JSDF forces had a distinct terrain advantage. They placed the IFVs and snipers, as well as some of the machine guns at an old Shinto Shrine and in a pre-war park on the flanks of the mountains, proving a clear shot at both bridges. Infantry, including missile gunners and machine guns were also placed in positions in the buildings along the Hayakawa river bank, as well as at the shrine and park. Finally, a battery of four 81mm mortars associated with the unit were placed near the pre-war lookout and temple at Mount Minobu, a mountain peak with a commanding view of the valley. At around 800 hours, the forward elements of the Shogunate column, consisting of a force of twelve pre-war tanks, mostly Type 73s, but also at least three Type 45s, vehicles considered to be cutting edge before the war, as well as about 300 infantry in the support. These vehicles outgunned the JSDF IFVs, which had light armor and were armed with 120mm low-recoil gun-launchers which, while some had ATGMs, there were less advanced post-war models, and were armed mostly with standard HEAT shells for anti-armor which, while effective against lighter and older armored vehicles, were less effective against advanced pre-war armor. The IFVs and infantry, however, has the definitive advantage in terms of height and concealment, being placed among the trees on the bluffs overlooking the river. As such, the JSDF APCs got off the first shot, a 120mm round that disabled a Shogunate tank. After firing, the JSDF APCs would retreat back down the slope of the bluff, where they were protected from fire from the Shogunate forces. The IFVs would advance up the slope to fire and then back up downslope to reload, before relocating and firing again. The fire from the IFVs, as well as the mortars on Mt. Minobu, disabled four Shogunate tanks and killed dozens of infantry before they reached the north bank of the Hayakawa. As the river was shallow and the bridges represented an obvious chokepoint, the samurai commanding the Shogunate force ordered his men to attempt to ford the river, with the tanks providing fire support. As they entered neared the river bank, the infantry were targeted by JSDF snipers and machine guns in positions on the opposite bank, while those with missile launchers or recoilless rifles engaged the tanks. The Shogunate infantry were quickly cut down in their charge across the open river bank. While the tanks provided some fire support, they proved to be easy targets for the IFVs and infantry-held anti-tank weapons. In total, nine Shogunate tanks and about 140 infantry were killed before they finally abandoned the attempt to cross. The JSDF suffered four IFVs destroyed and about 40 KIA, mostly from the Shogunate tanks. At about 815 hours, further JSDF reinforcements, including more about 30 Type 73 and Type 45 tanks, as well as seven Type 31 Armored Combat Suits and a regiment of infantry arrived. These forces shored up the initial position, allowing them to repel the Shogunate reinforcements, which included over 1000 infantry and 50 vehicles of various types that began arriving soon after. In the engagement at Minamikoma, the Shogunate lost 17 tanks, 22 other vehicles, and over 600 infantry before they were forced to retreat back along the valley to their forward command post and supply depot at Minobu, defended by over 5000 Shogunate troops. Counterattack at Minobu Beginning at 1000 hours, JSDF aircraft from Yokota, which has by this point re-armed and refueled, began launching attack runs on the Shogunate forces based in Minobu. One notable success was the destruction of a Shogunate artillery battery that had recently set up in the town. While no further Shogunate aircraft appeared, three JSDF aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire, mostly guns as SAMs, and in particular, replacement missiles, were rare in the post-war period. By 1020 hours, Shogunate positions became under attack from artillery which included 87 guns of various types (both towed and self-propelled) and 107 (mostly post-war manufactured Type 02s) MLRS batteries. With Minobu under heavy bombardment, JSDF armored and infantry forces massed at Minamikoma and Lake Motosu. At 1200 hours, the JSDF force of 9000 men, 47 tanks, and 92 other vehicles advanced from the east from Lake Motosu and south from Minamikoma, encountering only light resistance until they reached the edge of the largest built-up area of Minobu, actually located north of the city hall. The JSDF forces advancing south of Minamikoma first met heavy resistance as they neared a hillside just south of the central Minobu, on which stood a pre-war Shinto shrine, and further up the mountainside, an abandoned golf course. These areas has been fortified with Shogunate armor, artillery positions, and machine gun nests, and presented the main obstacle in the assault on Minobu. Fire from the position destroyed five JSDF tanks and seven other vehicles, and also killed 42 soldiers, as well as wounding 54 others. JSDF forces made a tactical retreat to an area less than kilometer to the south, where the road curved around a hillside, where they were covered from the mostly direct fire weapons on hill. Squads of infantry equipped with binoculars and radios were sent up the mountainside opposite the Shogunate positions to spot targets and called in close air and artillery support on the Shogunate positions. The positions were hit by several dozen 155mm and 203mm shells, as well as bombed, strafed, and hit with rocket attacks from two light aircraft. At 1220 hours, a JSDF Type 45 Main Battle Tank, the most heavily armored pre-war tank in the JSDF arsenal, advanced slowly around the curve in the road, into direct sight of the Shogunate positions. After drawing fire from the remaining guns, the tank along with four others, supported by spotters on the slopes above peeked from behind the hill slope, picking off tanks and artillery positions with the support of infantry mortars on the hill slope. At 1225, most of the Shogunate heavy weapons on the slope were cleared, and twelve JSDF tanks, advanced to a position around the curve, setting up along a tributary of the Fuji River to fire on surviving Shogunate positions. Under the support of the tanks, JSDF infantry advanced across the tributary, supported by seven Type 31 Armored Combat Suits. The armored combat suits allowed the infantry to bring armored support up the mountainside, greatly increasing their firepower. By 1230 hours, the JSDF forces had pushed Shogunate forces off of the lower slopes, and JSDF tanks could advance along the road along the east-flowing tributary of the Fuji River, while the infantry and Type 31 combat suits advanced up the mountains, the infantry watching for ATGM teams which could threaten the Type 31s, while the ACS units suppressed Shogunate snipers and machine guns, as well as engaged a few surviving Shogunate tanks. By 1240 hours, the JSDF forces had destroyed all heavy guns and armored vehicles and pushed the Shogunate off the golf course on the flanks of the mountain, and by 1300 hours, the tanks and infantry advancing along the tributary had cleared a pre-war Buddhist temple on the mountain slope near the source of the tributary. With the mountainside clear, JDSF forces advancing from both the south and east could advance, with JSDF amphibious IFVs being the first to cross shallow Fuji River from the south. After it was discovered the river was relatively shallow, small groups of tanks also waded across the river. The bulk of the JSDF forces attacked from along the road on the west side of the river, with some infantry advancing over the ridge separating the tributary from the city. At 1230, JSDF force advancing along the mountain roads to the east from Lake Motosu reached the pre-war Kunado train station and took it within five minutes, the Shogunate forces only lightly defending the station, not expecting an attack from over the narrow mountain roads By 1300 hours, JSDF forces had reached the east side of the Fuji River and met up with their comrades coming in from the south, having caught the Shogunate defenders on a ridge to the east of the river by surprise, hitting them from the opposite direction most of their defenses were facing and taking the ridge. By this point, both the south force mostly on the west side of the river and the east force on the east side were engaged in heavy house-to-house fighting to dislodge the Shogunate forces. This close combat involved the use of tanks and Type 31 ACS to take out Shogunate strong points before infantry moved into clear the structures. Close artillery strikes and helicopter or Umidori gunship strikes were sometimes called on particularly stubborn positions. As much as 70% structures in the city of Minobu and the town of Ichikawamisato to the north, which had survived the Great War of 2077 relatively intact, suffered at least moderate damage, with 35% being completely leveled. It was in the fighting in Ichikawamisato that daimyo of Kai Province Seiichi Gotou was killed, apparently crushed in the rubble after the structure he used as a forward command post was struck by a 203mm artillery shell. After an hour of fighting, at 1420 hours, the Kai-Iwama train station was taken by the JSDF, while the south force had reached as far as a bridge near the Nishijima Shrine, beyond which point the road narrowed to the point where it became a chokepoint. The urban combat continued until about 1530 hours, when JSDF infantry took the summit of a prominent mountain north of the Fujimifureainomori Park. Beyond this point, JSDF forces were unable to further advance, as the road to the north, while intact, become a major chokepoint. Shogunate forces attempted to place artillery within range of JSDF positions in Minobu and south Ichikawamisato, however, doing so placed the Shogunate guns within range of JSDF artillery in the area of north of Mount Fuji, which had the height advantage, as well as the advantage of spotters on Mt. Fuji itself and the mountains to the north. At this point, the front stabilized, with Minobu and southern Ichikawamisato being firmly under JSDF control. Aftermath The Battle of Mount Fuji was the second of two battles which decisively halted the Shogunate offensive. While the JSDF made moderate gains, placing the previously contested Minobu firmly under their control. It also stabilized the Fuji Front. North of the southernmost part of Ichikawamisato, the land was something of a no-man's land, with occasional small-scale incursions by both sides. The superior range of the JSDF artillery in the mountains north of Mt. Fuji thanks to the height advantage meant that, while the southern part of the Greater Kofu area was under Shogunate control, this area was in the target zone of JSDF artillery, which within a few months of the battle, included over 100 guns and 200 MLRS. While the Shogunate would sometimes attempt to deploy mobile batteries to fire a few shots at the JSDF artillery, they could not set up large batteries to bombard the JSDF positions, by the time they got in range, they were within range of counterbattery fire from the JSDF forces north of Fuji. This, along with attrition of air and ground forces thanks to JSDF air superiority, led to the Shogunate being weakened to the point where JSDF forces managed to push through the line into Kofu during the spring of 2258, though the JSDF forces would halted again by a second line of Shogunate defenses in the mountains north of Hokuto. Category:Battles Category:Events